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Shen
|gender= Male |image= |films= Kung Fu Panda 2 |voice= (film)IMDB.com - Kung Fu Panda 2 Unknown (young) |alias= Lord Shen, Peacock |appearance= White peacock feathers with bright red eyes and red eyespots on tail feathers and crest |combat= Weapons Expert, unspecified style of Kung Fu |fate= Defeated by Po and crushed by the remains of a cannon |quote= "Nothing stands in my way." }} Shen (more commonly known as Lord Shen) is the main antagonist in Kung Fu Panda 2. He is the son of the royal Peacock family and the heir to the Gongmen City throne. Biography Beginnings Lord Shen was born into the noble Peacock family, who were esteemed by the people of Gongmen City for their invention of fireworks. But as a young Shen began to dabble in (and eventually become obsessed with) the making of weapons with the use of the fireworks' gunpowder, his loving parents grew worried. They asked their court soothsayer what his future held, and she proclaimed that, if he continued with his dark pursuits, his supposed destiny would be destroyed by "a warrior of black and white". Overhearing this and fearing any obstacles in his plans, Shen led his wolf followers to attack and decimate a farming village populated by giant pandas, leaving none alive and covering the village with the pandas' blood. Returning home and expecting praise from his parents for his deed, Shen was instead banished forever for his crimes by his father, and his throne was turned over to the stewardship of Master Thundering Rhino and the Kung Fu Council. Shen felt wronged by this as he considered what he'd done as defying fate to realize his goals, and swore revenge to one day rule supreme. In Kung Fu Panda 2 Deep in the mountains, Shen's wolves worked tirelessly to complete their master's ultimate weapon: a cannon that would bring an end to the use of Kung Fu. When the Wolf Boss informed him that they had run out of metal to use as material, Shen ordered him to attack the farthest villages and steal all the metal they could find. While he and a group of wolves attended to that, Shen decided it was time to move forward with his plans. Shen traveled to Gongmen City and marched up to his former home, easily dispatching the guards that tried to subdue him at the gate. Once there, he confronted the Kung Fu Council, telling them that he was there to take back what was rightfully his. In the skirmish that followed, Shen easily outfought Masters Storming Ox and Croc, but was pushed back by Master Thundering Rhino, who shattered several of Shen's blades. Lord Shen, however, was ready for this, and unveiled his new weapon. Thundering Rhino prepared for battle, but he was no match for Shen's device and was killed. With Thundering Rhino dead, Shen threatened to turn his cannon on the city unless Storming Ox and Croc surrendered. He had the two masters imprisoned in Gongmen Jail and planted Master Rhino's Cloud Hammer in his courtyard as a trophy. With the Council out of the way, Shen began to ransack the tower, even throwing his father's throne out the window and replacing it with his cannon. He then questioned the Soothsayer about his future, but she informed him that nothing had changed; he would still be defeated by "a warrior of black and white". Shen declared this to be impossible, but was quickly proven wrong when the Wolf Boss returned, informing him that he had battled a panda who "fought like a demon". Shen, greatly angered by this, ordered him to bring the panda to him so he could kill him and prove the Soothsayer wrong. Later, when Po and the Furious Five were brought before him in handcuffs, Lord Shen discovered that Po didn't know about the massacre of the pandas or Shen's role in it, and he laughed and taunted him about his ignorance. He ordered the Wolf Boss to fire the cannon at them, but Mantis quickly extinguished the fuse and knocked the wolf out, which bought Viper enough time to pick the lock on Tigress' cuffs. Once they were free, Tigress and Mantis destroyed Shen's cannon and Po lunged at Shen. However, when he saw the marks on Shen's tail feathers, he was struck with a memory of his past, and realized that Shen was there the night he lost his biological parents. Shen only confirmed this to him with satisfaction, and then used this distraction to escape to the Fireworks Factory, where he had several more cannons waiting. He ordered his warriors to open fire and bring the tower down with Po and the Five inside. Despite this, they manage to escape as the building fell. Frustrated, Shen ordered his troops to start loading his ships to begin his conquest of China. Some time later, Po infiltrated the factory to confront Lord Shen, ruining the Five's plan to destroy the building. As the two fought, Shen easily outmaneuvered Po and taunted him again by telling him that he saw his parents abandon him and that they never loved him. This again distracted Po, enough for Shen to reach his most powerful cannon, which he used to blast Po out the factory and into the river. Confident that Po was dead, Shen had the recaptured Furious Five chained up and suspended above his ships as they sailed out of the city. Much to his shock, Po returned and tried to rescue his friends and defeat Shen once and for all. Shen ordered his gunners to blast him, but Po nimbly moved along the rooftops, preventing them from getting a clear shot, and then jumped onto the ships to engage Shen's army, now that they couldn't fire without hitting their own men. Shen could do nothing but watch as Po freed the Furious Five and joined forces with Masters Storming Ox, Croc, and Shifu. Finally losing his patience, Shen ordered the Wolf Boss to fire the main cannon, but the wolf refused to kill his own, and in response, Shen struck him down with one of his throwing knives, instantly killing the wolf. He fired the cannon himself, knocking all of the Kung Fu warriors away and blasting through the boats they had set up to block his fleet. As his ships entered the city harbor, Shen watched as Po swam out to one of the destroyed boats and began making motions. Unphased, Shen ordered his gunners to open fire and finish the panda. Amazingly, Po used a technique Shifu had shown him to catch and deflect the cannonballs, sending them back and destroying all of Shen's ships and cannons. When Po confronted him on his main ship, Shen asked him how he did it, how he could find peace after what Shen had done to him. Po told him that it was time to let go of his past and choose his own future, stating that the only thing that matters the most is what one chooses to become now. Though Shen agreed of deciding his own future, he refused to let go of his past, and instead attacked Po with his lance and knives. Shen's swordplay overwhelmed Po, but as they fought, he accidentally cut through the ropes holding the remains of his cannon. Shen realized this too late, and as the heavy weapon fell on him, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate, resulting a big explosion that sunk the main ship to the waters, which Po nearly manages to evade. Personality Shen is extremely smart, supremely lethal, and burns with ambition; it's a combustible combination. His past has forged in him the notion that he's been wronged and that the world owes him something. He intends to do everything in his power to take it, which includes inventing a powerful weapon unlike anything the world has ever seen. Shen is intent on using this weapon to wipe out Kung Fu and take over China. That placed him on a collision course with Master Po and the Furious Five.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Lord Shen (retrieved February 22, 2011) Shen was shown to be unspeakably ruthless (as well as paranoid), willing to kill China's population of pandas in order to smite any chances that one would some day defeat him, as foretold in a simple fortune-telling he overheard. Raised as royalty, Shen largely preferred to let his cannons and henchmen do the labor and dirty work rather than dealing with such obstacles himself. His ambition to leave his mark on the world drove him to find a dark and lethal potential in his family's celebrated invention of fireworks, and when cast out by his parents for his massacre of the pandas, he swore revenge, and aimed to conquer all of China to prove himself. Shen had little or no regard for the life or well-being of others, as he blasted a bridge without hesitation, despite the innocent bystanders, and was willing to sacrifice his own troops, which put him in conflict with his most trusted subordinate Boss Wolf, who refused to kill his own warriors. For this disobedience, Shen killed Boss Wolf without a thought. It was shown that Shen seemed to be somewhat of a perfectionist as when he took over the Tower of the Sacred Flame and fussed over the position of his cannon, saying that he envisioned the moment he would retake Gongmen City for years, and that everything had to be exactly as he envisioned it. He also demonstrated a fondness of expensive materials and luxury as shown when he acted infuriated when Soothsayer chewed off the hem of his robes (which he claimed to be made of "the finest silk in the province"). Prideful and possibly deranged, Shen showed no remorse for his crimes, and would often boast of what he'd accomplished. He was also emotionally sadistic, taking pleasure in telling Po that his parents didn't love him and taking advantage of the panda's pain. This cruelty likely stemmed from Shen's conviction that his own parents hated him and wronged him by banishing their son years ago; Shen's bitterness went as far as insulting his father's memory by throwing his throne out the window and replacing it with his cannon, despite having fond memories of playing near it as a child. The Soothsayer, Shen's childhood nanny, seemed to be the only person Shen cared about, as she tried to reason with Shen to change his ways, and, even while being his prisoner, displayed her concern for the reckless decisions he made. The Soothsayer is possibly the only other person he loved, despite her occasional mockery of him as well as Shen threatening and insulting her several times while she was his prisoner. Despite this, however, he never harmed her, and ultimately set her free. Despite his crimes, what Shen possibly wanted most was to have his parent's love and approval, which in his mind was lost forever when they banished him. With his family dead, he continued to believe his conquering of China with his weapons and his brutal force would be the only thing that would bring him the justice he felt was his. Even though he still believed that his parents betrayed him, the Soothsayer related to him his parents had indeed loved him, so much that they died from grief when they had to send him away. Although he paused in silence upon hearing this, even taking a few gasping breaths as if to hold back tears, Shen hardened his heart and proceeded with his conquest. Shen is shown to have a rather short temper. Seeing as when Po and the Five escaped from the collapsing Tower of the Sacred Flame, he became enraged and punched one of his Gorilla Followers in the nose. And when he ordered Boss Wolf to gather the wolves shortly after the incident, he screamed at him to do it immediately. Shen also seems to have a low tolerance for pain (despite being a seasoned master od Kung Fu and swordsmanship), such as when Soothsayer plucked out one of his smallest down feathers, Shen yelped loudly and pulled his wing back, acting as if he were badly injured. Fighting Style Although Lord Shen is a skilled and accomplished Kung Fu master, he is more likely to use his cunning or his cannons than his physical prowess. He excels in sword combat and hides an armory of blades in his robes, which he can unleash in lightning speed. Among his arsenal is his lance, which he was seen practicing with the most. Shen also has a pair lethal-looking metal talons, which he uses as armor, weapons, and means to light the fuses of his cannons. In battle, his tail becomes another limb, which he can shape and use to attack, defend or as a deception tool. His "Funnel Cloud Attack" and "Feather Attack" are daunting and deadly. All in all, Shen's fighting style is both graceful and lethal.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Lord Shen His Kung Fu skills are so high that he could effortlessly overwhelm both Storming Ox and Croc, both revered and full-fledged Kung Fu masters, and counter their each and every move flawlessly and lethally precise, hinting he could have killed them whenever he chose. When Shen engages someone in close-combat, not one move he makes is wasted. He makes full and efficient use of every technique, weapon, and tactic he has at his disposal, utilizing not only his bladed weapons but also his tail and talons. As shown in his fight with Storming Ox and Croc, he used his sword to pin Ox's weapons while using a sidekick on Croc and immediately turning that side-kick into a roundhouse-kick to knock Ox down. His tail is used to defend and distract his foes, and even mask his movements as he came very close to killing Croc when he first defended with his tail and then attempting to stab Croc with his sword, which he barely managed to dodge, and finishing it with a butterfly kick on Croc's head. Shen also seems to favor spinning or sweeping maneuvers, and is capable of sweeping a foe off his feet with his tail, as he did so with Po. He is a master of blades with lethal skill in swordsmanship and knife-throwing. Shen's knives are unique and likely custom-built, as they appear to be forged into the shape of feathers, likely so Shen can hide them among his own feathers in the folds of his robe. Relationships Soothsayer Shen and the Soothsayer have a strange relationship. Soothsayer was Shen's nanny when he was young, and loved him very much. However, as he grew into an adult, Shen seemed to have lost almost all love for her. She tends to infuriate and simply annoy him with her riddles and jokes, as well as plucking out one of his down feathers and chewing/biting off the hem of his robes. However, while Shen did insult and even threaten her on some occasions, he tolerates her and never harms her in any way. She seems to be the only one Shen ever truly cared for, despite banishing her from Gongmen City. Boss Wolf Boss Wolf was Shen's most loyal and trusted subordinate, as well as his right-hand man. He displayed much trust in Boss Wolf's abilities and competence, and Boss Wolf displayed in return great loyalty, as well as some fear, of his master. Still, Shen wasn't above reprimanding Boss Wolf in certain occasions and showed that while he valued and trusted Boss Wolf as his second-in-command, he cared nothing for him as when Shen ordered Boss Wolf to fire their cannon at their enemies, Boss Wolf hesitated since their troops would be caught in the blast as well. Boss Wolf tried to change Shen's mind, but he wouldn't, which led to Boss Wolf refusing, finally seeing Shen for what he really was, as well as losing his life as Shen promptly struck him down with his throwing knives. Shen displayed no remorse for killing his most trusted subordinate and acted like it never happened afterwards. Po Prior to when they met, Shen believed that Po was fully aware of his part in killing his parents and was also a fully-seasoned Kung Fu master; however, upon realizing that Po had no clue of what happened to his family, and that Po seemed to be a flighty clutz, Shen found himself unable to keep a straight face. Shen continued to underestimate Po up until he managed to take down his entire fleet single-handedly, leaving Shen exhausted and stunned at what just happened. Po approached Shen, knowing of the peacock's past, and telling him that he had to let go of the past and look toward the future, but Shen refused to do so and violently attacked Po, but accidentally sliced one of the ropes to his cannon, and then it comes down on top of Shen, killing him. Clothing/Outfit In keeping with his state as a white peacock, Shen wears a long, white robe (which matches his plumage) with a black belt. Shen onced commented that his robes are made from the finest silk in china. Underneath his robe is where he keeps his halberd and a large supply of throwing knives. To hide the burn scars on his feet, Shen wears metal talons that protect his feet and serve as formidable weapons. Trivia *The name "Shen" translates into English as "divinity" ( : 神, : shén), "flame" ( : 焴 :'' shen'') and "deep thought" ( : 深; : shēn) *Though Shen has been described as an albino, in reality, white peafowl are leucistic, as their eyes still contain pigment. *According to the director, Shen proved to be a great challenge to animate, so much that the complexity of the character was like that of doing six characters all at once.CNN.com - "Computer Generated Animation" *An earlier concept of Shen's background mentions him being born "sickly" due to his leucism/ albinism. His parents were disappointed and had deemed him "too weak and pitiful to deserve attention." The Soothsayer was also mentioned to be Shen's loving nanny, but the ignorance his own family showed him was what drove the young peacock into his path of wickedness.Kung Fu Panda Official Site - Lord Shen (retrieved February 5, 2011) *Shen was originally created as a devious mayor for the first movie, but was written out before production. IMDb.com - "Kung Fu Panda 2 *Shen's fighting style shares similar qualities with " ", a Chinese martial art that uses a metal for defensive and distraction purposes. These qualities are represented in the movie by Shen's use of his tail feathers and his agile, circular movements. This style shares a Japanese counterpart called " ", which also bases its style from a . *On each of Shen's wings were a set of five feathers longer than the rest, which substituted as "fingers", Shen is shown to be capable of bending and curling them as if they were actual fingers. However, in some instances, Shen is shown using his talons as "fingers". *Shen's tail is composed of a total of seventy feathers. Gallery Shen-kung-foo-panda-2-gary-oldmann-2011.jpg Kung-fu-panda-2-shen-gary-oldman-2011.jpg Lordshensheet.jpg|Concept illustrations of Shen by Nicolas Marlet Lordshenmodel.png|CG model of Shen KFP-lord-shen-11.jpg|Shen confronting the Kung Fu Council ShenLight.jpg|Shen greeting Po and the Furious Five ShenCannon.PNG|Shen pointing at Po ShenGorillaCannon.PNG|Shen firing his cannon ShenGaryOldman.PNG|Shen and his voice actor, (View more...) Quotes References Category:Characters Category:Film Characters Category:Video Game Characters Category:Villains Category:Males Category:Major Characters Category:Deceased Characters Category:Kung Fu Masters